


The fever of first love

by manubibi



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, Gen, M/M, No Plot/Plotless, Pre-Relationship, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-04-27 14:46:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5052745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manubibi/pseuds/manubibi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nagisa stays home from school because of a fever, Rei worries and goes to his place to take care of him and keep him company.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The fever of first love

Nagisa is usually the kind of kid that a calm, collected person who likes other calm, collected people would not like. Especially when he is healthy, which amounts to... roughly 365 days a year. And for the entire year, Rei has given up to the idea of having Nagisa’s voice in his ears almost all day. He can live with that, and he has gotten to the point where he honestly would not have it any other way.

Today, however, he does not see him. He scans through the classroom just as the bell for the first period rings, wondering just where _Nagisa-kun_ might be. 

He whips his phone out, exceptionally since he never does in school - the teacher might catch him and he hates getting scolded - and composes a quick text. "Hello, Nagisa-kun, where are you? Are you alright?"

Just as the lesson begins and the minutes begin to flow, a single vibration happens in his pocket, which makes him check anxiously for a reply. 

"Not really... I have a fever and I'm feeling really hot Rei-chan! You should touch my forehead and feel it, like you could boil an egg on it! ( ；´Д｀)" is the text that comes almost right after.

Oh, that explains it. Rei tries to remember how Nagisa could have gotten a fever... and he has a theory on why as well.

 

Yesterday Nagisa was insisting so much to go eat lunch on the school’s roof ‘because the sky looks nice today and the air is so fresh!’ so eventually Rei gave up on trying to make him change his mind. After all, when his best friend puts his mind to something, there is virtually nothing able to persuade him otherwise. It was cold, but Nagisa did not let that fight him off the roof either. 

Even when he began trembling and Rei scooped closer to try and keep him warm, trying to convince him, he still wanted to stay there. Why, though, he had no idea.

The moment it began raining, Nagisa finally allowed Rei to bring him in, disgruntled, but it was probably too late, and the fever had just planted a seed. He prefers to think in those terms, instead of thinking of the possible causes to a response of the hypothalamus making it rise the body heat. 

 

Especially because it cannot actually help with the situation of Nagisa showing red cheeks, runny nose, glassy eyes and general exhausted look after Rei shows up at his door. 

“Hi, _D_ ei-chan,” he chirps feebly, sniffles and offers a pained little smile while all wrapped up in a tight, soft duvet, wearing a pair of big slippers. “Co _b_ e in,” he adds stepping aside. 

That sight makes Rei’s heart clench, and his instinct to protect the other awakens, but he keeps at a careful distance while entering his home. So _this_ is where Nagisa lives. 

The place is quite big, but somehow as cozy as a small wooden country house would feel. As soon as the door is closed, Nagisa slides quietly to the living room, while Rei takes his shoes off and wears a pair of slippers by the door, and lets himself in. 

“I brought you today’s notes,” he says after excusing himself, and Nagisa hums, as he plops down on the sofa where he clearly spent the entire morning. 

“How was s _g_ ool?” He asks, sniffling again. That sound, Rei thinks while laying the bunch of notes down on a stool by the sofa, will keep him company all afternoon… if Nagisa doesn’t demand he stays the night too. After all, he wouldn’t put it beyond the blond to call a sleepover with the excuse of wanting some company through the illness. 

Rei thinks about it for a few seconds. 

“Quiet,” he replies eventually. It actually felt very quiet, almost surreal, to be able to sit through an entire school day without being interrupted by a joke or a prank or incessant chatter from behind his seat. And the worst part is, he isn’t sure he’s glad about it. 

“Mmm,” Nagisa hums, curling up tighter in himself. “Hey, _R_ ei-chan, could you get me some water please?” He responds, pointing to a glass sitting on the living room table where a dirty plate and a mug with some residues of tea also lie empty. 

So Rei decides to wash them, after picking the glass up, and carefully goes for the kitchen, where everything is perfectly clean and spotless. He mentally compares it to the state of the living room, with at least two other blankets lying lifeless, torn up snack wraps and various spots of dirt on the little table where Nagisa obviously just ate. He also deduces that nobody else is home. 

“While you’re there, could you grab a snack from the fridge?” Nagisa asks from the living room, with a little croaky voice. Rei frowns, but fills the glass up and opens the fridge, analyzing the products inside. 

Junk. Junk everywhere. Sweets, caramel bars, cream puffs, cake, ice-cream, no fruits or salad in sight. His eyes go wide, and he closes the fridge too horrified to speak. He trots to the living room, screeching, “you have nothing but unhealthy things in the fridge! Who does the grocery shopping?”

Nagisa sniffles at him, and then shrugs. 

“I did it yesterday.”

“And you only bought sweets?” Rei asks, already exasperated.

“…Yes?” Nagisa answers, blinking as a silent question for what’s the point. 

“Oh, Nagisa-kun…” Rei sighs, putting the glass down and massaging his temples. “You can’t eat only sweets, it’s bad for you!”

“But they’re delicious!” Nagisa protests.

The other puffs air out, staring at his best friend with an incredulous air. 

Nagisa, as a response, pats the spot on the sofa next to him, with a smile. “Let’s watch so _b_ e tv!” He proposes, waving the remote. From the way things are disposed, Rei thinks someone must have settled things in the room so that Nagisa has all he needs or, better yet, _wants_ , at arm’s reach. He really is spoiled, is Rei’s conclusion. 

But he elects to sit and keep Nagisa some company, before being psychologically wrestled into staying and forbidden to leave. Nagisa is a good kid, but Rei is convinced he knows just how convincing he can be, and he takes full advantage of it. 

 

Ten minutes into an absolutely ridiculous tv show, and Rei feels a nudge to his shoulder. As he looks at it, he sees Nagisa’s head leaning on his own shoulder, and it wobbles a little as a soft yawn comes out from the small wrapped up figure. It warms his heart in a strange way, to see Nagisa so quiet, all collected and calm, with a soft appearance, that Rei instinctively wraps an arm around him, and holds him closer. 

Nagisa blinks, looking up at him, then sniffles. 

“ _D_ ei-chan?” He whispers. 

A wave of self-consciousness hits Rei, forcing him to release the other. 

“Ah, sorry, I thought you were cold,” he justifies himself, a bit awkwardly.

“Oh… no, it’s okay, do it again,” Nagisa replies promptly, with a soft smile as he leans into him and relaxes again. This time, Rei also lets his defense down, and surrounds Nagisa’s shoulders with his arm again. This time, the other just hums comfortably, and soon enough his eyes drop close, before beginning to snore. As soon as he does, Rei takes a better look at him, all huddled up in a pink soft blanket with stars and rabbits on it, and thinks it’s definitely unfair just how _endearing_ his friend looks even when he should look horrible and repulsive. 

“ _D_ ei-chan, let me climb on that mushroom,” he slurs out in his sleep, and Rei smiles as he tries to imagine just what his friend might possibly be dreaming about. Maybe some adventures during a camp trip together in the woods?

The afternoon passes by quietly and peacefully, with Nagisa waking up on the regular, asking for something to drink, switching channels and falling back into sleep soon after, lying down on the sofa or with his head on Rei’s lap, or just sitting. The fever must have exhausted him, Rei thinks with a pinch of worry. 

As soon as it gets dark outside, though, Rei starts worrying about going back home. He needs to study… but Nagisa grabs his wrist as soon as he stands and starts to prepare himself to go out.

“Whe _d_ e are you going?” He asks, a bit anxiously.

“I need to go home…” Rei replies, sighing when he sees the other’s face sadden. 

“No, don’t go… sleep here tonight,” Nagisa begs. “I’m all alone today and I don’t like sleeping alone… Please?” He chirps, looking miserable, and Rei wonders where the illness starts, where the purity ends, and just how plain spoilt Nagisa is. But his eyes are so big and so honest, it would break his heart to say no, even though he perfectly knows those feelings are irrational and indeed he has to study. 

“Fine,” he gives in, eventually. “But we’ll sleep soon and tomorrow I’m going to school,” he adds as a condition, without any intention on giving in on any of the two points. 

“Okay,” Nagisa replies, visibly happier, before snuggling again into Rei’s figure, with his eyes drooping again now that he’s sure someone will be there when he wakes up. 

_Honestly_ …, Rei thinks, trying to be exasperated, but he cannot help a small smile. Especially because he never saw Nagisa’s home and he is probably the only one in their circle of friends who did. That, in all honesty, makes him sort of proud. It must mean he is special, after all. And even though he’s not one to be after that sort of selfish feelings, it makes his core warm up a bit. But after all, that happens so often when it comes to Nagisa. 

Even when he blatantly ignores one of Rei’s conditions and it ends up with them going to sleep at midnight.

**Author's Note:**

> I just happened across the prompt "high fever" and couldn't refrain from writing more pointless reigisa. Except it's not even actual reigisa, is it? It's like mom!Rei mothers Nagisa and getting all fuzzy from interacting with him. Basically like in canon then. lol anyway I hope u like it :3


End file.
